One-Two
by FreyReh
Summary: FULL SUM INSIDE: After the death of her father, Emma is left to deal with the backlash of his dealings with the Dragons. Unwilling to take the same road he did, she's left alone to battle against the pressure of Hun...or at least she thinks so until new friends in her life help her with her demons. Also, why is it that two of her new friends seem to pull at her heartstrings more?
1. Chapter 1

AH SHELL! Another bunny has escaped its cage. Get back here bunny! Get. Back. Ugh, never mind… RUN BUNNY, BE FREEEE! ;p

Title: One-Two

Full Summary: After the death of her father, Emma is put in a difficult position. With a younger brother spiraling out of control and an unreachable mother, she is left to take care of the family business: only to find nothing but dirty money and the stench of Purple Dragons. Not wanting to be like her father, Emma does her best to keep the business legit but with the pressure from the Dragons and one disaster after another she starts to crumble only to be picked back up again by new friends. Why is it that two of her new friends seem to touch her heart in more ways than one? Can she save her family and herself from the jaws of the dragon?

Genre: Action/Drama/Romance… The usual when it comes to me…  
Pairings: TBD… ;)  
Rated: T for now, will bump up to M as story progresses I'm sure…  
Series: Combo of 2007 movie and 2K3 series

Dis: Don't own TMNT

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_I wish I knew then  
What I know now  
Wouldn't dive in  
Wouldn't bow down  
Gravity hurts  
You made it so sweet  
'Til I woke up on  
On the concrete_

~'Wide Awake, Katy Perry

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As she lay sprawled on the concrete, the world moving at a slow circle outside her unfocused eyes, she had to wonder how it was she'd gotten here. How was it that she ended up shot and left to die in a pool of her own blood? There were many to blame, her own self included, but she was too numb to think of any names. Numbness was traveling throughout her body and accompanying it was the cold, wrapping itself around her like a blanket while the shadows moved in a frenzy around her still form.

Then HE was there, cupping her face with his warm hands, staring into her eyes: panicked.

"Emma? Emma!" He looked around her body, probably panicking over the blood she was losing. She had been able to feel the hot stickiness on her back and beneath her palms, but now? All she felt was cold. "You're going be ok, you hear me? You're going to be ok!"

Slowly, the world around her started to fade to white, and she stared up at him, his face the last thing her unblinking eyes could see before everything faded from white to black.

"EMMA!"

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**2 Months Earlier…**

She stood over her father's grave, booted feet sinking into the sodden grass while the rain fell all around her. She had no umbrella, her loosely curled blonde hair now flattened and pasted to her cheeks and neck. Her hazel eyes remained focused on the block letters on the polished stone before her:

**Edward Tate  
1956-2012  
Beloved Husband & Father**

Hands in the pockets of her red leather jacket she studied the stone that was more pristine than her father ever was, at least in the later years of his life. She had the good memories, like him taking her to the zoo or bringing her and her brother Joey to their first Mets game. The recent memories, however, were not so good. Emma Tate loved her father till his dying breath in Beth Israel Medical Center, but he had dark secrets that he had taken to his grave: and those secrets are now haunting her.

Turning away from the stone she maneuvered around numerous grave markers until she was back on track for her nightly walk, a walk she's taken since the night her father passed. Turning onto Delancey she jaywalked across the street to the rundown building that was her father's gym. HAD been her father's gym, but was now closed down due to the dealings Emma caught wind of.

Apparently, Edward Tate had been so desperate; he turned the gem that he'd built from the ground up at the age of eighteen into a place that spawned evil. Drugs, guns, you name it and her father had a hand in it with a partnership with the Purple Dragons. A partnership her brother Joey wanted to keep up because the money was good and he wanted to be in their good graces to join the gang. Emma had yelled and ranted at him for hours which only turned into him throwing a punch at her, her giving him a right jab that would have done her father proud, and Joey finally stomping out onto the street. She didn't know where he was now, probably getting into trouble somewhere, and she was at a loss as to what to do with him.

How do you control a sixteen year old boy who was high half the time and didn't want to listen to a word you said? She didn't know how her dad kept him in line for so long and her mother was no help, having shut herself out after her dad's death. So now, Emma was on her own, forced to take care of a mother that never wanted her and a brother who wish he'd been an only child.

His words, not her own.

Slamming the door to the gym closed she wrung out her hair before heading to the office. She narrowed her eyes when seeing the door she distinctively remembered closing ajar and she was about to call out when a noise behind her had her whirling around. There, standing before her, was John wearing his signature yellow and maroon trench coat with the Purple Dragon insignia running down both arms. He was leaning back against the boxing ring that was in the middle of the gym, arms folded over his chest: a lecherous grin on his face.

"Hello, Emma."

"John," she said, disgust evident in her voice.

"Hun wants to know if you've reconsidered his offer."

"No, I haven't," she answered, chin lifted, hazel eyes burning in defiance. "I'll tell you what I've told Hun: my father was a criminal and I want nothing to do with that life. This gym is going to go back to what it was supposed to be: a place for kids."

"See, that isn't the answer I was lookin' for, girlie," said John, pulling out his bo staff and making a show with twirling it around in circles. "Hun is losing his patience with you and business is slowing now that we don't got a meetin' place to do the deals. So how I see it is this: you reopen the place, or we burn it to the ground." He stilled the staff, looking at her with a smirk. "With you, little Joey, and your mommy in it."

Slowly he walked past her still form, a sinister smirk on his face. "Think about it, Emma. You're too pretty to kill."

Then he was gone, leaving her shaken to her core. Oh God, the Dragons just threatened her family. What the hell was she supposed to do now? She felt sick to her stomach and she fell to her knees on the padded floor: hands pressing to her face as tears threatened to fall.

She needed help, but who would help her? The cops? No, she knew of a lot of them that were paid off by the Dragons, her brother told her so. The other half, the GOOD half, were always sent around in circles, not knowing their brothers and sisters batted for the other team. She had no friends in the area, her bestie going to college in Florida and someone she hasn't talked to since her father's funeral. The last thing she wanted was to drag anyone else she knew into this.

"Hey, you ok?" asked a voice at the door, making her turn her head at a tall figure standing in the doorway.

Wiping her eyes she forced a smile while standing on now shaky feet. "Hey, Casey, how's it going?"

"Emma," he said, bringing his hand up and pointing his thumb behind his shoulder while strolling into the gym like he owned the place. Well, he WAS her number one customer, one of the few that came this time of night. Sometimes she wondered if it was to check on her and she would worry that he did it because he had feelings for her: if she didn't know he had a girlfriend waiting at home. Hell, he was the closest thing she had to a friend now, a good acquaintance that she didn't want involved in this. "What the hell was that scumbag doing in here?"

"I…" She looked away. "I can't get you involved."

"Da hell you can't. You in trouble?"

"Case, everyone knows what happened to you and your family because of the Dragons. I can't get you involved again. It wouldn't be fair."

"Trust me, Em," he said, friendly hand falling to her shoulder. "I neva got un-involved."

She stared up at him, her face pale and hazel eyes almost pleading. He wanted to help her. HE wanted to help HER. Never, never in her life has anyone put their neck out for her. It was usually HER that ended up sacrificing something to help someone else. Slowly her face crumbled and she brought up a hand to her mouth to catch the sob that wanted to come out.

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With a curse, Casey wrapped a strong arm around her leather-clad shoulders and pulled her into his chest. What Emma didn't see was him looking over the top of her head, his angry blue eyes meeting a set of amber that flashed in the darkened shadows. The shadowed figure gave Casey one nod before vanishing from sight. Casey owed it to Emma to help her because she was one of the few in the lower East side that gave a damn and have stood up to the Dragons. Unlike her dad and brother.

He'd been patrolling, looking for some Dragon scum with his best pal, when they'd stopped on the rooftop across from the gym. Upon seeing that punk leave Emma's gym, Casey had immediately wanted to investigate: much to his friend's annoyance.

"C'mon, Case," said his friend, Raphael, a mutant turtle that kicked ass and took names. Casey had to admit that in his prime, Raphael was one scary sonuvabitch. He was what he would consider his best friend, the age difference never really a factor because they liked all the same things: especially putting punk kinds in their place. They've been a team for about five years now, whenever he wasn't out with his bros he tagged along with Casey, taking a break from all that ninja stuff and brawlin'. "We should be followin' dis guy instead."

"Emma's a friend," said Casey, pulling off his mask and bag of tricks and setting them on the cobbled stones sprinkled on the roof. "She's been through a lot. Just lost her dad, y'remember Tate?"

"The guy you were pissed at fer takin' bribes from the Dragons?"

"Yeah. Dat's the guy. His daughter, Emma, she's one of the good ones."

"Think the Dragons are pressurin' her in ta followin' daddy's footsteps?" asked Raphael, now interested, three-fingered hands bracing his massive body as he leaned forward on the roof ledge.

"Wouldn't surprise me," said Casey, gripping the top rung of a fire escape ladder and twisting his body around to slide down with ease like he was a fireman going down a pole. His heavily booted finally hit the sidewalk with a dull _thunk_ and he had waved at Raphael before quickly crossing the street to enter the gym and find Emma on the floor.

Now, as she pulled back and awkwardly wiped the tears away, he knew he and the turtles would do anything and everything in their power to help this woman escape the powerful influence of the Dragons. She chuckled, turning her back on him and composing herself before turning back around, a fake smile on her face.

"So, Casey, mind telling me how you alone plan to help me battle Hun and his lackeys?"

"Well…" His face scrunched. He had a plan, but it had to be secret. No way was he going to tell her he had four mutant pals helping out. "I'll think of somethin'."

Emma smiled. "Okay."

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Raphael waited for another twenty minutes before Casey finally made his way back up the ladder and to his side. Raphael tilted his head toward the building that was now dark save for a single window toward the top floor. He hated to admit it but hearing that girl cry had pulled something in him. Some sort of protective instinct Splinter always went on about when they were younger. For once, Raphael found himself WILLING to help a human other than Casey and April without a bitter taste in his mouth.

"So, what's her deal?"

Casey explained everything to him, making his hands clench in fists while Casey finished putting his mask on. The Dragons. Should've known since the Shredder was out of the picture for good that Hun would continue to wreak havoc in the city and its citizens.

"All we can really do is watch and wait," said Casey. "She's not taking that threat lightly, which is good. She's making plans to get her mom upstate. Her bro is MIA. A brat workin' for the same people threatenin' his family."

"Idiot," agreed Raphael, looking over as the light flicked off. "She stayin' the night here?"

"Said she'd rather stay here den deal with her mom and bro at home. Tate had an upstairs apartment."

"Convenient for being on-call fer the Dragons," said Raphael. "I now have a sudden urge to go find trouble 'n bash its face in."

"Agreed. Uh, you gunna talk ta Leo about this?"

"Yeah," said Raphael, turning away from the ledge. "I am."

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**TBC**…

cowabungacorner . proboards . com


	2. Chapter 2

Note: Thanks to BubblyShell22, Kameko Saka, syzygy101, & pandasize for reviewing the introductory chapter! Here's hoping you stick with me throughout the rest of it ;p

Dis: I don't own TMNT

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Emma wasn't much of a drinker but the night events sent her to her father's stash in his old office before venturing to the apartment upstairs. Using a single lamp as a source of light she uncorked the bottle and sat with it and a tumbler in the middle of the floor. She shrugged off her leather jacket to reveal a simple black t-shirt then toed off her boots before sitting criss-cross. She eyed the box as if it were a bomb ready to go off and poured a large quantity of something amber into her glass before tossing it back. Whatever it was it burned its way down her throat and singed the inside of her nose: so she took another large shot.

Recovering from a double-double shot party she placed the tumbler on the floor beside her hip before lifting off the lid from an old blue photo storage box. She reached in and picked up a baseball signed by John Franco from the Mets and smiled. One good memory followed another as she searched the last box that's been in his office from the pocket watch she'd given him on his thirtieth birthday when she was five to an article speaking about his gym where he was holding her and her mother was obviously pregnant. Random pictures were in the box of her and Joey and she had to wonder where it all started to fall apart for her family.

A chirping from her phone had her jumping before reaching for it, digging into the pocket of her leather jacket before fishing out her Samsung Stratosphere. The image was of Joey sticking his tongue out at her to show his piercing and holding up two middle fingers. She was tempted to ignore it, but instead answered.

"Joey?"

"Emma, I..." She heard a sigh on the other end and bit her lip. "I'm sorry, Sis."

"Joe... Where are you?"

"Outside the gym... I need to know... are you gunna do it?"

"You know I can't," she whispered, eyes looking down at her free hand, her thumbnail and index fingernail clicking together to showcase her nervousness. Something that had often gotten her a swat upside the head from her mother. "It isn't right."

"I know, but Emma... I hate to see what will happen if you don't..."

"Joey..." Emma stood and went to the window. Pulling open the curtain she saw the hunched form of her brother across the street leaning against a building. "Come inside."

"I'm sorry, Emma." He hung up and stepped onto the streets. Five others joined him, obviously Dragons, and Emma's breath caught in her throat as she saw gas canisters as well as someone flicking their lighter. So this was how it would be? She was almost surprised that they didn't just kill her and let her brother hand it over instead... Phone in hand, she dialed 9-1-1 and after calmly telling the operator that someone was trying to burn down her gym while fumbling with her boots she whipped on her coat and rushed down the stairs to the streets. She was squaring off against six Purple Dragons. The ugly, fresh tattoo on her brother's neck had tears threatening to fall.

"Don't make me do this, Emma. Just sell to Hun."

"NO! Dammit, Joey, Dad wouldn't want this!"

"That's where yer wrong, Sis," he said an almost maniacal grin on his face. "He DID want this. He loved the money. How do you think he kept us fed and clothed! Join the Dragons, let's just-"

"You're going to make me kick your ass in front of your new friends, aren't you?" she sneered, earning a few chuckles from the Dragons.

"Shut up!" snapped Joey. "I was thirteen the last time you beat me!"

"And my skills have only gotten better while you wasted your time getting high and drunk." Her face softened, blue eyes pleading as someone once again flicked a lighter. Off in the distance she could hear sirens and she prayed that they got here in time. "Joey... Please."

Joey scratched at his scalp, fingers digging into his platinum white hair while he worried his bottom lip. He WAS high... On what she didn't know but when he suddenly whirled and threw a punch at her she was ready and pivoted to the left and leaned back to dodged before gripping him by the scruff of his AC/DC shirt and using his momentum to push him down to the ground.

The man holding the lighter came next and the first thing she did was kick it out of his hand. As the metallic object skittered across the cracked concrete she threw a one-two combination, nailing the Dragon in the nose then the trachea. While gasping for air the Dragon fell to his knees and it was all she needed to land a powerful kick to his chest, knocking him down for the count, right on top of her brother.

Two down, four to go, and soon objects like knives and chains came out from wherever they had been hiding and she fought the urge to roll her eyes. Boys and their toys... She barely sidestepped a chain as it whistled past her ear and did a back flip to avoid a roundhouse kick. She felt a muscle pull in her back, because its been ages since she's done a flip, and knew she'd be feeling it in the morning. She grabbed a trashcan lid and heard it sing before it connected with one assailant's nose but grunted in pain, almost growling when her hair was suddenly tugged. Forced to backpedal she brought both hands up to the guy's wrist and dug her nails in while stomping down on his instep with the heel of her boot. His grip loosened enough for her to break free but someone had been coming in and soon pain shot up her back as a kick connected with it and her body slammed into a parked Gremlin.

Now the four remaining came at her at once and while she blocked some punches and kicks, others hit their mark. Her head snapped to the side as a fist connected with it and she tasted blood on her tongue as she did a dirty move and kicked one of the Dragon's in the balls, something her father often chastised her for when she was younger and boxing in his gym... Probably against some of the Dragons depending on when they started to take over. The boy that she made sing '_mother_' went down with a whimper and she pulled the metal pipe from his weakened grip and whipped it downward at the closest Dragon, connecting with his knee and sending him down just as red and blue lights whipped around the corner.

"Shit! It's the cops!" Two of the remaining Dragons glared at her. "This ain't over bitch!"

In a blur of motion, two cop cars came upon the scene. Officers were immediately handcuffing Dragons that were still on the ground and one chased after the two that went down an alley between the gym and its neighboring building. Emma watched, blood trickling from the side of her mouth and pipe still clung tightly in her hand, as her brother was carted away and then suddenly everything snapped into focus as a female officer stood before her with calm brown eyes. The officer's hands guided her to the curb and soon questions were being asked and Emma answered them to the best of her ability. She refused medical attention, much of Officer Jane's indignation, but she honestly wouldn't be able to pay the medical bills and had gauze as well as peroxide waiting for her upstairs in an apartment she no longer felt safe in.

"Anything else to add?" asked the officer.

"No," said Emma, now tossing the pipe she had wielded as a weapon aside. "Ask THEM why they attacked me."

"Do you know any of them?"

"The blond Dragon's name is Joey Tate. He's my brother."

"Oh-I-Uh... I'm sorry," stammered the officer, obviously not having expected that.

"Yeah," said Emma sadly, watching as a cruiser drove her brother away. He looked back at her, hate evident on his face. "Me too."

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Raphael was awakened by the familiar ring of his shell cell. Groaning he blindly searched for the device on the milk crate he called a nightstand and cursed as he knocked over his sai, bandana, and a glass of water he'd brought to bed with him before clasping his olive green fingers around the annoying piece of shit phone. Jamming his finger into the button he held the phone to his ear, eyes still closed as his free hand rubbed the oncoming headache that was forming at his temple.

"WHAT?!" he growled.

"Sheesh, Raph, its Casey."

"Case...What time is it?"

"Noon."

"Shit," muttered Raphael, knowing he was probably going to get his shell kicked for missing morning practice again from both Splinter AND Leo.

"Emma was attacked last night."

"What?" Raphael sat up in his bed, happy he got rid of the hammock ages ago otherwise he was certain he'd have just flipped over and landed on the floor. "What happened?"

"Dragons, her brother included, came ta burn the place down. She fought them off long enough fer the cops ta show up. They arrested four Dragons, her bro included. It's just the beginnin', Raph."

"Shit. I'm going ta go talk ta Leo now."

"Thanks, Man, I'll owe ya."

"Yeah." Raphael ended the call and tossed his phone to the side, it landing softly on the mattress before he stood. He rolled his neck, making it pop before stretching his arms above his head. Eyes adjusting to the darkness he found his belt, sai, and mask and put them on along with his pads which had been tossed around his room before pulling back the thick red curtain.

Quickly he strolled down the hall and once he got to the railing that overlooked the expanse of the lair from the calm water pool to Donnie's supercomputer and the couch Mikey was lounging on he flipped over and landed softly on his feet with a small grunt. He straightened and readied himself before heading into the kitchen area where Donnie was tinkering with the toaster Leo probably broke again.

"He's alive," said Donatello, sarcasm evident in his tone. "Leo's pissed."

"I bet," said Raphael, pulling back a chair, letting it scrape against the floor before twisting it around and sitting on it backwards. He leaned forward, feet flat on the floor while the chair balanced on two legs before hunching forward, forearms resting on the table. "Had an incident last night. Friend of Casey's got attacked at her gym."

"The Tate girl?" Raphael nodded while Donatello looked up from his project, pulling up the magnifying goggles. "It was on the news this morning."

"She doesn't wanna follow in daddy's footsteps and the Dragons are putting on the pressure."

"I see. What are we to do then?" asked Donatello, calmly setting down the soldering tool.

"Case has asked that we help keep an eye on her."

"From what I heard she fought them off pretty good last night," said Donatello, abandoning his project to pick up his coffee mug and refill it at the kitchen counter. "One of them was her brother."

"Shit," said Raph, rubbing his face roughly with the palm of his hand as Donatello poured a second cup of coffee, loaded it with sugar, then set it before his larger and angrier brother. "He's an asshole fer takin' their side over her."

"No kidding," said Donatello before resuming his project.

"Leo break the toaster again?"

"Mikey and I keep telling him he can't stick a knife in a toaster when its plugged in."

"And we call MIKEY the dunce of the group," said Raphael with a roll of his eyes before chugging down his coffee. It burned his tongue, but he needed Don's super strong brew to wake him up for the conversation he was going to have with Splinter and Leo. He stood swiftly, silently like the trained ninja that he was: abandoning his coffee cup for Don to clean up later.

"Have fun," said Don cheerfully and Raphael raised his middle finger up while exiting the kitchen and heading to the dojo where he heard grunting and sure enough there was Leo practicing with their Sensei whom was still surprisingly spry at his age. Leonardo managed to disarm Splinter blindfolded, then flipped backwards to avoid Sensei's cheap shot with his tail. Raphael hated to admit it, but Leo was good... ALMOST as good as him but soon he was on his shell and Raphael fought the urge to smirk.

"Good afternoon, Raphael," said Splinter, turning to him. "I'm happy to see you are actually alive. I was getting worried."

The sarcasm was so thick Raphael could cut it with one of Leo's katana.

"Sorry, Sensei. I was out with Casey last night. His friend was getting harassed by the Dragons. Apparently she was attacked after we left."

"Is she all right?" asked Splinter, concern evident while Leonardo adjusted his bandana then sheathed his katana.

"Yeah, she fought them off. Leo, remember Tate? It's his daughter. They're wanting her ta turn and she's tellin' them no. They're goin' aftah her 'n Case is askin' as a friend that we help out."

Leonardo frowned, arms going over his chest. "We know nothing of this girl."

"We have Case's word that she's all right."

"Raphael, he's a good friend, but he's been mistaken before..." said Leonardo, filled with doubt.

"Don't be stubborn on dis, Leo! Normally I'd say let the humans fight it out but she's Case's friend and ya didn't see her last night. I did!"

"You were seen?" asked Leonardo, eyes widening.

"No! I ain't stupid. I kept hidden. C'mon Leo..."

"My Son, Casey has always aided us in our battles. Perhaps you should help him on this matter..." Splinter's tail and whiskers twitched. "Remain hidden in the shadows... Be her protector until a solution can be formed."

"All right, Sensei," said Leonardo, unwilling to challenge a suggestion from their father. He then turned to Raphael. "You missed your training this morning."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll make it up later," said Raphael, rolling his eyes. "So what's the plan, Leader? Stake out her gym?"

"Mike can stake out her gym," said Leonardo. "While we check out the Dragon HQ. Don's been wanting to test out some new spy gear."

"Ya trust Mikey not ta mess up? Yeah he's gotten bettah at keepin' quiet during stake-outs but..." Raphael trailed off, amber eyes rolling.

"Well as leader I need to go to the HQ... Only Don knows how to work the gear... You wanna watch the girl while we deal with the Dragons?" asked Leonardo, crossing his arms over his plastron.

"Fine," growled Raphael, hands clenching. No way in hell would he miss an opportunity to bust Dragons heads! Plans never really went as planned in their case, and if the Dragons found out they were there he needed to be there to draw blood. "Mikey can watch her."

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Michelangelo sighed while getting comfortable on the ledge of the roof directly across from the gym he was supposed to be watching. Almost pouting he crossed his arms over his pectoral plates and huffed. He hated always getting the short end of the stick, however... Grinning slyly he pulled his bag out and dug inside until coming up with his comics. So maybe he had circled back to get his bag before getting to the gym because no way in SHELL was he sitting out here in the cold with nothing to do. Humming to himself he opened his comic to the first page and he was halfway through with "_Zombie Attack on Mars_" issue number fourteen when a noise had him looking at the gym. There, standing with her window open, was Emma.

She was cute, in human standards, with blonde hair and a kind face. She looked sad now, though, and pulling out his binoculars and swearing to himself that he was no perv he peered through them to get a good look at her. Yeah, she was definitely sad, and he felt a small slice of anger when seeing her bruised face and split lip. Stupid Dragons... Why couldn't they just disappear off the face of the Earth?

Grumbling he tossed the binoculars down on top of his bag and continued to watch until Emma closed the window then turned off the light. When certain she was going to bed and not leaving the gym he went to go turn back to his comics when the sound of someone kicking what sounded like a soda can as well as a curse had him deftly moving to the other side of the building. Sure enough, a group of at least ten Dragons were approaching the gym and Mikey smirked while setting down his comic and drawing out his nunchaku.

'_Raph is going to be SO pissed that he missed this,_' he thought before leaping off the top of the building, swinging from window ledge to ledge before dropping down on top of an unsuspecting Dragon.

"Hello, Ladies," said Mikey with a grin and twirl of his weapons. "Who wants to dance with the Mikester?"

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Emma sat up in bed when hearing what sounded like fighting outside her window. Rushing from beneath the covers she went to her window and lifted it up before peering out. Yes, there was something going on in the alley and she heard someone curse before they were tossed out of the alley and to the pavement. A Dragon, from the looks of him, and a thought came to her.

"Casey, you idiot," she muttered before slipping on her coat and grabbing the bat she had stowed by the bed. Is this what he had meant by helping her fix things? Battling Dragons when they came in the middle of the night? The last thing she wanted was for him to get hurt because of her so she hurriedly slipped on a pair of tennis shoes, skipping the socks, and sprinted down the stairs, through the gym, and out the front door just as another battle cry sounded. She had slept the day away and woke up sore as hell so everything was pulling the wrong way as she finally made it to the mouth of the alley, another body falling right before her feet.

Damn, Casey was GOOD.

Rushing forward she barely ducked before what looked to be a nunchaku hit her in the head. Cursing she pressed her back against the alley wall then looked in the area where the flying weapon came from and her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open.

There, holding the foot of a Dragon that had tried to kick him in the head, was a... Turtle? Oh, was she dreaming? Her head hurt from the punch she took in the face the other night... Maybe she was hallucinating? The bat she had held so tightly fell from her hands and clattered to the pavement. She saw him slowly turn his head to her right before he twisted the foot of the Dragon, making him squeal before the turtle knocked him out with a direct punch to the face.

There were about five more Dragons and seeing her enter the fight they all booked it out of the alley and she was soon alone with the turtle that was barely taller than her and looking nervous as hell as he ran a three-fingered hand over his bald head and it was his nervousness that had her stopping the need of bashing him with her bat or screaming like a girl.

"I, uh... Hi? Please don't scream," he said, putting his hands out in a way a person would with a wary animal. "I'm a friend of Casey's."

"I... I wasn't going to scream. Casey? He... You know him?"

"Uh, yeah, its hard to explain but I was sent to watch the place," he answered while she clenched and unclenched the bat that she somehow got back in her hands. "I know its a lot to take in, Dudette, but know that I'm a friend: not an enemy."

She tilted her head to the side before reluctantly lowering the bat. She nodded, then shivered... Aware now that she was standing in the freezing cold wearing nothing but her tennis shoes, blue tartan pajama shorts, and a white tank top. She ran a hand through her blonde hair while regarding the turtle that was now walking toward her wearing a belt, an orange mask, and some pads. He passed her to pick up the nunchaku that had almost hit her in the face then tucked it back into his belt.

"So Casey sent you?"

"Yeah."

"Huh..." She motioned to the gym with her head. "Well then Mr. Protector... Wanna come in? It's cold out."

"Oh! Uh... Yeah, sure... Let me just get some stuff."

He was gone then back in a flash holding a canvas bag and soon he was following her to her gym. There were no signs of the Dragons as she opened the gym door then locked it. She made a mental note to get a security alarm for the place in the morning since it was now two nights in a row the Dragons have tried something.

"I'm Emma, though I'm sure you already know that."

"Yeah." He smiled brightly and she blinked. He was a friendly one all right! "I'm Michelangelo, but you, pretty lady, can call me Mikey."

Emma couldn't help it. She laughed, for the first time since her father's death, then motioned for her new friend to follow her up the stairs. This creature, this turtle, had just entered her life and she was more at ease with him than her own mother! Upon making it to the apartment she made sure the curtains were drawn before flipping on a small lamp. There wasn't much for furniture save for a saggy chair and a sofa that Mikey parked himself on, plopping his bag onto the scratched coffee table. Slowly, Emma went to the opposite side of the couch Michelangelo was sitting on and perched her bottom on the arm of it before giving him a curious glance.

"Ok..." she said, brow wrinkling slightly. "Now that I'm sure I'm not dreaming or hallucinating... Can you tell me what the hell is going on?"

"Well, you see..."

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**TBC**...

As always reviews are welcomed! :)


	3. Chapter 3

Dis: I don't own TMNT

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"I think I need another drink," said Emma as Michelangelo's tale started to process in her concussed mind. Slowly she stood from the sofa and went to the counter that held the familiar tumbler and poured herself another drink before downing it and bracing her hands on the wooden surface. It was almost too much to take in. Mutants are real, and they are saving the world by battling aliens from other planets and keeping thugs like the Dragons in check.

Mutants are real. Aliens are real. The feeling of throwing up the drink she just drank? Totally real.

"You ok?" Emma jumped, hand going to her chest as she whirled to the left to see a concerned Michelangelo. "Sorry, I move like a ninja and forget to make noise."

"Geez..." she said, still a bit startled. "I think I have a bell somewhere for you to wear."

"Casey did that once, didn't really work," said Mikey with a grin.

"Oh…" She lowered her head, loose blonde curls a curtain around her face. Her unpainted fingertips tapped the wooden counter before she suddenly whirled on him, making HIM jump slightly. "So, are your brothers going to be mad you talked to me?"

"Probably. We're pretty keen about the whole "_staying secret_" thing," he said, making air quotes.

"Don't worry, I got your back-erm-shell," said Emma. "Blame the Dragons."

"Shell yeah I will," said Mikey. "It's their ox-like movements that got this ninja master caught!"

As if on cue, a soft beeping sound had Mikey tensing before looking down at the shell cell strapped to his belt. Sighing, and wanting to get the eminent yelling over with, he held up a finger before answering the phone: casually leaning what would be deemed his hip against the same counter Emma was still using for support.

"Y'ello! Oh, hey Raph… Uh huh…. Uh huh…. Uh huh… Well, you see, some Dragon's showed up so I had to show them out… Where am I? Funny story…" Blue eyes lazily turned their focus upon Emma and he winked before answering. "I'm keeping her company."

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"WHAT?!"

Raphael immediately turned his attention back to the apartment across the street where he and his brothers had left Mikey. The curtains were drawn shut but the lights were on. Raphael had shown up minutes ago ready to tear his brother a new one for leaving his post, but upon scanning the area he had seen tell-tale signs of a fight and had called him in slight concern. NOW he was just pissed. He had sent Leo and Don home with the notion that he would get their brother and be right behind them. He was NOT looking forward to calling Leo and telling him that his plan had a slight snag in it.

"Sorry," said Mikey on the other end of the phone, in a tone that had Raphael far from believing that he was sorry. "There were like, ten of them, and by the time I was finishing up she came into the alley holding a bat like she was about to go all Casey Jones on their asses."

"Christ. Ok, I'm comin' over."

"All right…" A slight pause and Raphael could hear murmured conversation. "There's a fire escape on the west side of the building. Emma said you can get in through her Dad's old office. She'll open the window for ya!"

"Great." Raphael hung up and immediately called his brother. Upon the second ring, Donatello answered. "Hey, Bro."

"Hey," said Donatello, and in the background Raphael could hear the sound of running water. They were still on their way home. "On your way?"

"Slight change of plan," said Raphael, twisting his body over the ledge and going down the ladder the same way Casey had two nights ago, the cell remaining cradled between his shoulder and ear until he landed on the ground safety. Now gripping the phone with his left hand he kept his right over the handle of his sai still strapped in his belt before rushing across the street as a ninja should: untraced.

"Mikey was seen by Emma."

"Uh… come again?"

"The idiot was seen and now I'm on my way over ta her place."

"Crap," muttered Donatello.

"Yeah, no kiddin'. Let Fearless know."

"Yeah, thanks for letting ME be the one to tell him."

"Tell me what?" asked Leonardo on the other end, making Raph smirk.

"See ya in a bit, there's an open window on the west side of the building" said Raphael before hanging up.

When he made it to the fire escape attached to Emma's building he started the climb up to the one and only lit window. Upon arriving he tapped it twice and it slid open, the warmth from inside curling around his toes and calves before he eased inside, his shell slightly scraping against the narrow frame. Twisting around he left the window barely open to signal which one his brothers should enter before turning fully to a sheepish looking Michelangelo and a stunned Emma.

"Yo," he said, giving her a slight salute.

"Uh… Hi," she said, raising her hand and wiggling her fingers.

"So was Leo mad?" asked Mikey.

"I'm sure we'll be getting yelled at when he gets here."

"Wow, I get to meet all four of you in one night," said Emma and Raphael and Mikey both turned to look at her.

"You okay?" asked Mikey.

"Me? Fine. I'm fine. I mean I was attacked, then almost attacked again, and get to meet mutants. How would I not be fine? Great. I'm…" Emma sighed, eyes closing. "Great."

"She doesn't look so '_great'_ to me," said Mikey in a whisper to Raph, making Emma frown before opening her eyes.

"I think I need another drink."

"Man," said Mikey as she vacated the room. "By the time the nights over this place is going to be drier than the Sahara!"

Raphael didn't find the joke about the alcohol funny and he slapped the back of Mikey's head to show it before following Emma into the living area. She was standing at a counter, holding a small glass filled to the brim with amber liquid: staring at the full glass with a lot of concentration. He watched, amused, as she sighed before downing what was probably a double shot before whirling on them with the glass in her hand. He thought, for a moment, that she looked like she was either going to throw the glass or puke but instead she calmly set it down and crossed her arms.

"Ok, so, Casey sent you." She ran a slightly shaky hand through her hair. "How are you going to help me?"

"I'm not sure," said a voice from the doorway that had Emma jumping and Raphael inwardly groaning. "But we'll find a way."

"Leo! Welcome to the party, bro," said Mikey, trying to make light of the situation at hand.

"I'll talk to _you_ later," said Leonardo, pointing a finger at Mikey before slowly walking to Emma. Her wide, hazel eyes met his calm caramel and she swallowed down the nervousness she suddenly felt. "Ms. Tate?"

"Yes?" she asked breathlessly.

"Mind if we sit down and talk?"

"Not at all."

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There weren't many places to sit in the small apartment. Emma sat at a small table in the tiny kitchenette with her hands wrapped around a steaming cup of black coffee. Sitting in one of the two chairs was the turtle Donatello, who had made her the coffee and insisted she drink that instead of more alcohol. Sitting in the chair nearest her was Leonardo. The leader, the eldest: and most concerned about her knowing their secret. Him telling her their history with her father had her almost throwing up everything she drank in the last hour. It being confirmed by strangers that he had turned out to be a bad man was like a blade to the gut and Leonardo could see that and had rest his hand over one of hers. She was holding his hand like a lifeline now as he spoke about fighting the Foot and the hand her father had in their plans. Many timse he asked if she wanted him to stop but she told him to keep going, and that she needed to know.

"I know he was in some bad stuff, but he never used to be like that," she said softly.

"Desperation makes even the purest person tempted to make mistakes," said Leonardo.

"Yeah, so, now what do we do?" asked Raphael who had been leaning against the back wall behind her.

"Yeah," said Michelangelo, Mikey, from his spot perched on the top of the sofa. "The Dragon's aren't going to give up."

"I'm actually waiting for the day they just decide to kill me," said Emma, making Raphael make a fist and punch his open palm.

"Not gunna happen."

"It's a lot of effort for a building," said Donatello, making all eyes fall on him. "I mean, there are plenty of other buildings in New York with plenty of people willing to work with the Dragons in a partnership like this… So why Emma? Why _this_ building?"

"What're you thinking, Donnie?" asked Leonardo, still holding Emma's hand, much to Raphael's annoyance.

"I'm thinking," said Don, "that there is something here. Something that they want." His serious brown eyes turned to Emma. "Have you found anything that could implicate the Dragons in their crimes? Guns? Drugs? Documents?"

"To be honest, I haven't really torn the place completely apart yet," said Emma, biting her lower lip. "You think there's something here?"

"Could be," said Donatello.

"Sweet! A treasure hunt!" said Mikey with a large grin.

"I guess that means we're going to need more coffee," said Emma, releasing Leonardo's hand to stand just as the first rays of the sunrise started to filter into the building.

"Raph? Call Case and April and see if they're willing to help," said Leo. "If we find what they want we might be able to use it as a bargaining chip for Emma's safety."

"On it," said Raphael, pushing away from the wall and taking out his cell.

Emma started making coffee but found the task difficult from her shaking hands. They weren't shaking because she was too drunk; the stories of her father had sobered her up real fast. No, they were shaking in anticipation. Was there really something here? Answers as to why the Dragons needed her partnership and this building so badly? Two warm, green hands covered hers and she looked up into the kind, brown eyes of Donatello.

"I can do that for you."

"Oh, I…" Emma dropped the scoop back into the canister of coffee, grounds sprinkling over the top of her counter. "I'm a mess."

"Hey…We'll figure this out," said Donatello, putting one last heaping spoonful of grounds into the filter. He grabbed the empty pot and filled it with tap water then poured the water into the coffeemaker before turning it on. "I'm willing to bet that once we find what they want they'll leave you alone."

"Why not just tell me what they want? I mean what if it's so bad that once they know that I know…" Emma bit her lower lip. "If it was something small they would have just demanded I return it and would have been done with me. I'm almost don't _want_ to know what is hidden here."

"Hey…" Don's calming hand went to her shoulder. "No matter what, we're here for you. Okay?"

"Ok," she said, running a hand through her crazy hair. "Ok… Thanks."

"So both Raph and Mikey have praised your fighting skills," said Donatello and Emma had to admit him changing the topic was welcomed.

"Dad let me box," said Emma. "I got good at it but when he started to frown at my slightly aggressive nature in the ring he pulled me."

"Aren't you supposed to be aggressive?" asked Donatello. "It's boxing…"

"Kick a guy in the balls once or twice and people get bent out of shape," said Emma with a grin as Don's eyes widened.

"Oh, I see…"

Emma shrugged. "I got in a couple fights in school as well. Dad tried, even putting me in kick-boxing classes and some other ones. It helped to beat the snot out of a dummy every day after school." She shrugged again. "I was an angry kid."

"I'd like to say that training as a ninja had helped in our aggression in our teenage years."

"-QUIT ACTIN' LIKE A PUSSY 'N GET UP!" came the shout of Raphael from her father's office.

"Well, most of our aggression," said Donatello with a smile. "Raph is the exception."

Emma chuckled as the scent of freshly brewed coffee hit her nose. Donatello stepped away from her to speak to Leonardo and she was left alone with her thoughts once more. They needed to find what the Dragons wanted, she knew that now, otherwise they would never leave her alone. If that plan didn't work she could always leave town and spend some time out of state. Until then…

She had a secret to find.

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**TBC**…


	4. Chapter 4

Dis: I don't own TMNT  
Note: Thanks for all the love!

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Emma was startled awake, limbs jerking as she sat up in her office chair. Groaning she pulled off the piece of paper stuck to the side of her cheek before running a hand through her disheveled blonde hair. Soft snores had her swiveling in her chair and the nights events smacked her upside the head when seeing three turtles parked in various positions in the small living space. Michelangelo was sprawled out on the sofa, a leg curling over the side as his plastron rose and fell with his snores. Raphael and Donatello were at the table in the small kitchenette: heads rested on their folded arms, a large box of documents separating them.

They had torn the place apart from top to bottom and hadn't found a single thing. Emma had insisted that she had gone through everything but Donatello was adamant about there having to be something hidden that the Dragon's wanted inside the gym. Mikey had been the first casualty that night, having fallen asleep after looking over only a few pieces of paper. Emma was certain that when she insisted she was just going to rest her eyes, that the others had been awake.

Wait… She saw three turtles… Where was the other one?

Standing from the chair she moved as quietly as she could through the small space. Michelangelo snorted, shifting on the sofa while Raphael coughed, grunted, then settled his head further into his arms. Walking to the small bedroom she closed the door and quickly changed, slipping on some underwear before a pair of loose fitting jeans. She pulled off the tank-top she had on and balled it up before tossing it in the corner. Rummaging around in the large duffle she found a clean bra along with a Superman screened t-shirt and pulled them on just as a soft tap sounded at her door.

"Emma?" It was Leo. "Casey and April are here to help us."

"Ok," said Emma, smoothing out her shirt. "I'll be out in a sec."

She used the bathroom quickly, brushing out her hair and pulling the curls up into a ponytail before washing her face and brushing her teeth. She winced at her reflection. The bruises were an ugly yellow and black: a sign that they were healing but she took time with some foundation to hide the worst of the damage before brushing some mascara on over her lashes. A swipe of her deodorant and a spritz of a perfume later she was out the door of her bedroom and back into her small living space.

"Casey!"

"Hey Emma," said Casey, coming forward and wrapping one arm around her, squeezing once before releasing her. "How you doin'?"

"Better," she said softly, eyes falling on the mutants. "Considering my mind was blown last night."

"Yeah," he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck and almost blushing. "Sorry bout that."

Emma shrugged just as another woman wearing khaki pants and a top that showed off her flat stomach came forward. She had the reddest hair Emma had ever seen in her life and a kind smile. She offered her hand and Emma took it and gave her the polite handshake.

"Hi! I'm April."

"Emma."

"Casey told me about what's going on." April placed the hand that wasn't in Emma's on Emma's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"Thanks," said Emma, looking down.

"We're here to help." April stepped back and Casey immediately wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Emma smiled, they were a cute couple. "You guys find anything yet?"

"No. Not really." Donatello stood from the table, cracking his neck and stretching before grabbing a chocolate donut that the happy couple must have brought. His coffee cup was full and his dark brown eyes sought out Emma. "With your permission I'd like to take a look on that computer again."

"Yeah," said Emma, grabbing her own cup and filling it before leading the way to the door that led down to the main gym. It was dark and quiet, sunlight filtering in through the windows that needed a good cleaning. In fact, everything looked like it was too old save for a couple of the weights. She sighed. The place was a dump. "If I keep this place I have my work cut out for me."

"It's not that bad," reassured Donatello, even as his eyes traveled over cracks in the ceiling so big he could see sunlight. "I mean… Sure it has its quirks but…"

Emma smiled. "Thanks for being polite."

"Uh, no problem," he finished lamely as she opened the office door. Flicking on the light the stuffy office went from dark to being cast in a warm glow. Donatello immediately took a seat on a squeaky, leather chair that had a slice in the cushion: the foam interior visible. It had been her dad's lucky chair, and something he never wanted to get rid of. Setting his coffee and donut within reach he eagerly tapped on the dated keyboard, the large tower practically groaning as it struggled to keep up with his flying digits.

Emma looked around the office and sighed before going to a filing cabinet. Setting her coffee on top of the metallic surface she carefully opened the top drawer. Don and Raphael had been the ones looking in the office while she, Leo, and Mike went through some boxes stuffed in the upstairs closet. Opening the cabinet now it was apparent that someone had been in there and Emma started sorting through things some more. Upon reaching the bottom drawer she pulled out the files just as Donatello finished up on the computer.

"Anything?" she asked while leafing through some papers, sitting crisscross on the floor, her coffee cup now beside her lap.

"No. I wrote down names of clients and will look into them later."

"Yeah, sorry, that computer is so old and Dad was never a fan of the Internet." Emma tossed another file aside. "Tax forms, old clients, receipts… Nothing the Dragons would be interested in."

"Yeah." Don rubbed at his eyes tiredly. "I'm beginning to rethink the theory of something being here that they want. I mean… There's no place else something can be hidden can there?"

"I dunno…" Emma bit her bottom lip then perked up. "The basement!"

"There's a basement?" he asked.

"Yeah. He used to spend a lot of time down there after work." Emma stood up, brushing off the seat of her pants before rushing out the office door. "I never thought anything of it till now…C'mon!"

"Shouldn't we…" Donatello sighed. Emma was already gone and he quickly stood from the chair and exited the office in time to see her opening a door on the opposite side of the gym. Rushing to catch up he flipped over the ropes of the boxing ring and did a forward roll before somersaulting over on the opposite side. Emma mentally praised his agility while feeling along the wall for the light switch before clicking it a few times. She frowned when the bulb remained dark. "Hang on I have a flashlight."

Emma looked down to see Don feeling along his belt before pulling out a miniature flashlight. He flipped it on and she was surprised at how bright it was. Donatello led the way down the stairs and she peeked over his shoulder: wary of the spider webs he casually brushed away. The beam of light cast eerie shadows on the walls and Emma was never a fan of the basement to begin with so she made sure to curl her arm around Donatello's as they shuffled along the dusty floor. Upon coming to another switch, she flicked it and a dim light turned on above their heads. Sighing in slight relief, Emma looked around.

Old equipment, posters, a couple extra bags… Nothing too out of the ordinary. Donatello broke away from her so when he went in one direction she chose another, nearly being done in by a hanging dummy that gave her a heart attack when she turned the corner and ran into it. Luckily, she managed to quiet her scream to a weak squeak. When Don called her name she gave the dummy a shove before following his voice. She found him sitting at a desk shoved in the corner and in the top drawer lay a laptop. Their eyes met briefly before he pulled the laptop out of the drawer.

"Oh God… You think that is it?" she asked, hands digging deep in the back pockets of her jeans.

"Maybe…" He started the computer and sighed at the password protected screen. "You know it?"

"Uh…" she made a face to indicate she didn't and he sighed before cracking his fingers.

"Just give me a second."

"Okay." Emma found a stack of crates and pulled one over to sit on. She used her free time to rummage in the other drawers. She found documents that had a series of numbers, followed by a date, and an amount of money. "I think this might be a ledger. I don't recognize the account numbers though."

"I'm in." Emma put down the papers, mentally making a note to look at them later, and stood up from the low crate. Settling her hands on his shoulders once more she leaned down to peek around him: sad, hazel eyes observing the screen. "Hmm, let's see… Ok… Encoded. Can work around that… Let's see if there's a back door… Hm…"

"What?"

"Hang on…" A few taps later and suddenly window after window popped up onto the screen. Emma watched, amazed because she had always thought her dad was technologically challenged. He had all this hidden on a password protected laptop for goodness sakes! "Wow. Ok. It looks like a lot of security videos. It's your gym."

"Yeah," said Emma. "It is."

He played a few, the audio crystal clear as video after video showed meetings and deals being made. Other files, like document scans of security containers as well as contacts for guns and drugs were within the laptop as well. This was what the Dragons were after, and they were using her brother to try and get it.

"Shit."

"Yeah." Donatello closed the laptop then slowly brought up a large hand to cover one of hers on his shoulder, tilting his head up to stare at her. "You ok?"

"I…" She sighed, pulling away and turning her back to him. She heard the creak of the chair behind her as she brought her hands up to cover her face. She controlled the tears as his comforting hands rest on her shoulders, rubbing them gently. "I am. I don't think anything can surprise me. I guess I need to send all that in to the Police."

"I need to comb through it. Your dad knew about us. I need to make sure there's nothing on US in there before we send the computer in."

"Oh, yeah, you're right."

"In the meantime… Maybe you should stay with someone for a while. Like Casey and April or… Us."

"You don't even know me," she said softly, turning around, his hands falling to his side as she looked up at him with sad eyes.

"It's what we do," he said with a smile. He twisted around to tuck the laptop under his arm. Emma took the large folder of files she found as well as the flashlight he offered before they walked to the switch and turned off the light. Sighing she went back toward the stairs and stopped at the base of them, looking up at what almost looked like an endless trek back to her gym. His hand found her shoulder, a body part that seemed to be getting a lot of attention that morning, and gave it a gentle squeeze: his rough thumb caressing the skin at the back of her neck. "It'll be ok."

She twisted her head around to look up at him. He offered a smile and she gave a shaky one back before leaving his comforting touch to return back to the harsh reality that awaited her up those stairs. How sad was it, that when the door closed behind her, she realized that she would rather be in the basement in the company of a mutant turtle than show even more evidence of her father's sins to those that had fought him endlessly till his death?

"Don?"

"Yeah?" he asked, tucking his flashlight back into his belt.

"I'm sorry," she said, voice cracking, and his head snapped up to look at her. Her bottom lip trembled even though she tried to hold it down with her teeth and he could see the sheen of unshed tears in her luminescent eyes. "I'm sorry my Dad was such a bad person and that h-he fought against you… I-I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Reaching for her he wrapped the arm not holding the laptop around her waist and pulled her in for a hug and she rest her forehead against his shoulder as he tightened his hold on her. "None if it is. We don't blame you for your father's actions. Know that. Ok?"

"Ok…" She inhaled then exhaled deeply to calm her body. His scent that of leather and... Lemon, it had to be lemon. Whatever it was it was… Nice. "Ok."

"Stay with us tonight." Slowly she looked up, still in his embrace, hazel eyes melding with dark brown. Something electric was passing between them and they couldn't look away. His fingertips dug a little deeper into the skin at her lower back and she swallowed audibly as he leaned in and… Did he just smell her hair? "Emma…"

"HEY!" They sprang apart and the file Emma had been holding fell to the floor, papers scattering in various directions. "There you guys are!"

"Hey April," said Donatello, bending to help Emma retrieve the papers, a small blush on his cheeks. "We went in the basement and found something."

"Really?" she asked.

"It explains everything," said Emma, clearing her throat because her voice sounded a lot sultrier than she remembered. "Why the Dragon's wanted access here. Donatello is going to go over it tonight before I decide what I want to do with it."

"Well, that's good news, right?" asked April cheerily. "Mikey said something about wanting to order pizza for dinner."

"We'll be eating at the lair tonight," said Donatello calmly, handing Emma the papers he had picked up, fingertips brushing against her open palm: his eyes boring into hers. "Emma has decided to stay with us a while."

"Great! I'll let everyone else know," said April, turning on her heel as Emma shot up to her feet along with Don.

"Um…" She felt awkward. She didn't know what to do with her hands… Well, ok, she was using them to practically strangle the folder she was holding. "So… I suppose I need to go to my place and get some stuff if I'm staying with you."

"Good idea," said Donatello, eyes still on her. "Bring April and Casey with you. Just in case."

"Yeah. I will."

"I… Better go find my brothers and go… Usually we don't travel during the day but I'm anxious to get back to the lair…"

"Ok," said Emma, looking down at her feet. "I'll see you later, then?"

Emma had no choice but to look up as a fingertip slid beneath her chin and tilted her head up. Once again she felt that spark as his eyes connected with hers. He smiled eyes on her parted lips.

"Count on it."

Then he was gone. Alone, Emma sighed deeply, the pressure in her chest releasing as she struggled to put one foot in front of the other: knees feeling like jelly.

"Holy hell… What was THAT about?"

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Emma finished packing her second bag before taking a look around her room. Upon arriving at the apartment it was empty. Her mom took her advice and left it seemed. The lengthy note about how disappointed in her children she was as well as the promise that she was NOT coming back was almost a relief. Emma loved her mother, truly, but she was a bit overbearing and it was about time someone else in her family stood up and helped her take care of her. She only hoped that they didn't send her back for at least a while.

Still, even with her mother gone and her brother more than likely still in custody: Emma didn't want to stay at the apartment. She had never liked it. It was small and the walls were thin enough to hear EVERYTHING. So she zipped up her duffle with the last of her belongings that she cared about then walked out her bedroom door. After grabbing a couple of her favorite movies and leaving the PS3 for Joey since she didn't play. After slipping on her trusty boots over her pant legs (April said something about wearing boots with where they were going) and shrugging on her red, leather jacket that she loved so much, she exited the apartment and locked it behind her. Waiting in the car, parked in front of the building, was April.

"All set?" she asked out the window.

"Yeah. Thanks for giving me some alone time."

"No problem."

Emma opened then closed the door to the car and April eased into traffic. Maroon 5 played their latest hit and Emma was grateful that April didn't want to talk. She needed to distress and so she closed her eyes the entire ride until they pulled into a large garage. April cut the engine as the garage door lowered before exiting the vehicle. Emma followed, holding both of her bags as April went to an old looking elevator. Emma hesitated only moment before going inside it and braced herself against the caged wall as it lowered.

"They live underground?" she asked as the elevator stopped. "In the sewers?!"

"Trust me," said April. "It's not as bad as it seems. You'll be meeting their Master Splinter when we arrive. He just needs to confirm that you're well… Trustworthy. _They_ need to be a secret. The location of their home needs to be a secret."

"I understand," said Emma with a nod.

"Good," said April, sighing in relief. "Usually they blindfold newcomers but Casey and surprisingly Don and Raph pled your case. If Don, the most suspicious turtle alive and Raph, the most untrusting turtle alive; are on your side. You're golden."

"Well… That's something," said Emma with a smile.

"Oh, one more thing," said April as she led the way through the tunnels. "Master Splinter is a giant rat… So… Prepare yourself. He's the sweetest man you'll ever meet."

"He's a what now?" asked Emma, stopping in her tracks as April continued on. "WHAT?"

April didn't stop and soon Emma was running to keep up.

"Turtles… Rats…. I'm scared to think of what else is lurking in these sewers…"

"Oh, you'll meet Leatherhead later on I'm sure," said April as they stopped in front of a wall.

"Who?" asked Emma as April pulled a lever, twisted a knob, then keyed in a code. The entire wall opened and Emma took a large step backwards. April strolled inside and Emma followed, twisting around as the wall closed behind them. She then looked forward again and her eyes widened. "Wow."

The ramp led down to the middle of the turtle's home, a large pool in the middle of it. The turtle with the blue bandana was leaning against the railing of a bridge over the pool and standing next to him was the large rat April warned her about. Taking a deep breath she steeled herself as Leonardo led the rat toward her.

"You must be Miss. Tate."

"Emma Tate," she said, offering her hand and he took it and she gave herself a pat on the back for not flinching. "I'm pleased to meet you."

"Likewise. Come," he said, gesturing toward an open area to the left. "My son has already set the table for dinner tonight. I would like to hear your story. Leonardo, please take her bags to Donatello's room. He has already said she could stay there."

Emma paused only a moment before handing her bags to Leonardo. With a flip and a twist he was up on the second floor and she gestured at him with her thumb as he vanished into one of the many possible halls up there.

"Please tell me you guys have stairs somewhere, cause there is no way I can do that."

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"Hey."

Emma looked to her right to see Raphael standing beside her. She had offered to do the dishes since they had welcomed her into their home AND bought her pizza to eat. The turtles had no argument to her volunteering. Splinter had already retired for the night, once again welcoming her into their home before leaving with quiet taps from his cane. April and Casey had left after dinner as well and while the turtles had gone to do whatever it was they did: Emma had been left alone with the dishes.

Or so she thought.

"Hi," she said, rinsing off a plate. Raphael took the wet plate from her and started drying it while she scrubbed another. "You don't have to help. I said I'd do them."

"Nah," he said gruffly, drying the dish vigorously. As if it was his life's mission to get that plate as dry as possible. "I don't mind. It's my night anyway."

"All right." They did the dishes in silence, her washing and he drying. When she washed the last glass he took it from her while she pulled the plug. She watched the water as it swirled and traveled down the drain. "I talked to Donatello earlier." She blushed, remembering his touch and shifted. "About my dad… I'm sorry about how… How he was."

"Hey." Once again, her shoulder got some attention. His slightly damp hand rested heavily on it and she looked up into his deep, amber eyes. "Don't worry about it. All right? Enough apologizin' fer stuff ya didn't even do."

"Ok." She smiled, brushing strands of blonde hair that came out of her ponytail back behind her ears. "Thanks, Raphael."

"Yer welcome," he said, giving her a playful nudge with his shell before tossing the towel he had onto the counter. "Mikey said he wanted ta watch a movie tonight. If you don't wanna I can tell him yer tired."

"No. I can. Let me change first… Um…" She bit her bottom lip. "Can you show me how to get up on the second floor without having to be an acrobat?"

Raphael laughed, tugging her by the wrist to follow him. "Yeah. I got ya covered. Don't worry."

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"OH MY GOD! DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN!"

Donatello's head snapped up as he saw Emma swatting Raphael on the arm before resting her hand over her chest. Raphael was laughing and that was NOT a good sign. Donatello frowned as Emma hit his brother once more. He could only guess at what he did.

"SORRY EMMA! I COULDN'T RESIST!"

"What did you do?" called Mikey from the bottom floor, DVDs in his hand.

"He hauled me over his shoulder like a barbarian and flippy-floppied his way up here with me in tow!"

"Aw, ya liked it!" said Raphael. "Admit it."

"Just… A little warning next time," she growled before disappearing into Donatello's room.

He sighed, attention going back to the lap top. There HAD been some files on he and his brothers on it and he made sure to extract all traces of their existence from the drive. It made him uneasy and he wondered who else had information on them. Bishop, Karai, Hun… All of them more than likely had something on them.

Done for now, he set the laptop aside. He needed a talk with Emma to ask her what she wanted to do. He had a few ideas of his own but he knew that with the day she's had: that he could wait to tell her until the morning. He turned away from his desk in time to see Emma crawl up onto the back of Raphael's shell and hang on to him with her legs and arms wrapped around him as he flipped back down to the first floor.

The sight of her wrapped around his brother had him more than a little upset and he scowled as she laughed and swatted his arm again. What the shell was wrong with him? He didn't even know her and yet he found himself VERY attracted and perhaps a little possessive of her. In the basement he had wanted to kiss her. Then he nearly did in her gym! Luckily he had managed to get control over his hormones otherwise April would have gotten a show!

"YO DONNIE!" Donatello looked up to see Mikey waving him over. "Come watch the movie!"

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Emma sat between Mikey and Raphael, curled up in a blue blanket in her pajamas. Mikey had insisted she be his snuggle buddy and she had laughed before complying with his demand. Resting her cheek against his arm she snuggled into his side while Raphael slumped in his seat, his heavy arm draped over her calves.

The warmth she felt from not only the blanket but two bodies pressing into her made her eyes feel heavy. In the darkness of the lair she struggled to keep her eyes open but it was an uphill battle. Slowly she let them fall closed, her eyes drifting from the television screen to the turtle sitting perched on the chair nearest her. She noticed that his eyes were on her as well and her lips tilted in a small smile before she went under. She wasn't sure how much time passed before she woke up to the feel of someone lifting her. Too tired to care that she was moving she snuggled into the embrace and sighed as whoever it was carried her.

"No flippy floppies," she murmured and she felt more than heard the chuckle come from deep within the plastron her cheek was pressed against. Lemons… She smelled lemons…

"Promise…" he whispered.

Seconds later she was being tucked into a cold, yet comfortable bed and she murmured her approval as a hand drifted over her forehead to clear away strands of hair. She opened her eyes slowly, meeting the gaze of the turtle whose bed she was in.

"Donatello…"

"Donnie," he said softly. "Call me Donnie…"

"Donnie," she whispered as one fingertip trailed over her lower lip. "What are you doing?"

"I'm not sure," he answered truthfully, his words a whispered caress against the skin of her face. "Get some sleep. We'll talk tomorrow."

"Kay…" Her eyes closed. "G'nite."

"Goodnight, Emma."

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**TBC…**

REVIEWS LOVED AND CHERISHED!  
**ALSO… my TMNT forum moved from Proboards to Hyperboards, so if you were one of the members there that was active… check out the new URL on my profile page!**


	5. Chapter 5

Dis: I don't own TMNT, no monetary gain has been made. Emma is my OFC!  
Note: The rating of this fic may go up in the near future, be it as it may the light M stuff will be posted here on but if you want the very mature content of this fic as well as others you will have to view it on my forum.

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Emma slowly transitioned from the realm of dreams to that of reality. Moaning her distaste she pulled the blankets that had wrapped around her knees back over her body, sighing into her borrowed pillow. Her lips twitched at the corners when the scent of lemon wafted from the pillow into her nose. She really needed to figure out what he did to get that scent to linger on him. Turning onto her back her hazel eyes opened slowly to stare up at a brick ceiling with metal pipes all along the top. Though it was probably morning, the room was still shadowed and she reached to her right to flick on a lamp sitting on a stack of books. She sat up, rubbing her eyes free of the crud that developed while sleeping and hid a yawn behind an open palm.

Tossing the blankets aside her eyes zeroed in on her two plain duffle bags. Not in the mood to really get dressed up she swapped her pajama pants for a baggy pair of baby blue sweats and her pajama top for a navy blue tank top with a built in bra and a large grey zip-up sweatshirt. Pulling her hair up in a messy bun she grabbed her large cosmetic bag that had her toothbrush, paste, and other necessities and tossed it on the bed before digging into her second duffle. Unsure whether or not to walk barefoot she pulled out a pair of flip-flops she packed on a whim and slipped them on. Too lazy to put the contacts she had on the night before she grabbed her case and put on a pair of black-framed glasses before tossing the case onto the bed and exchanging it for her cosmetic bag.

Cracking her neck she took a detour, clutching her white bag with black polka dots against her chest while her eyes focused in on numerous posters lining the walls from the anatomy of a human and turtle to the solar system. A bookcase in the corner held titles from '_War and Peace'_ to '_The Great Gatsby'_ and she smirked when seeing a very small collection of Batman graphic novels.

"See something you like?" asked the turtle she'd been thinking of all morning and she jumped, whipping around to face him with a sheepish smile.

"Donnie!" She adjusted the glasses she wore. "Morning."

"Good morning."

"Yeah I just woke up and your bookshelf distracted me. _War and Peace_ huh? Did you actually read through the whole thing?" she asked as he leaned against the doorway, ankles and arms crossed leisurely.

"A couple times," he said with a smile.

"I think I liked Great Gatsby. I can't remember."

"Feel free to read it again," he said. "Sensei sent me up here to see if you wanted to eat breakfast with us. We just got done training."

"Oh! Yeah. Direct me to the bathroom and afterwards I'll join you all."

She walked to the doorway and paused before sniffing. He gave her a funny look as she went up on her tiptoes and, while pressing lightly into his side, inhaled deeply through her nose. Was she? No!

"Are you… Smelling me?" he asked, looking jumbled, like he wasn't sure how to process her course of action. What she didn't know was that he was secretly getting turned on. She was close, SO close, and the brush of fingertips against his arm and her SMELLING him had him clenching his hands to keep from grabbing her. Instead, he dug his blunt nails into his palm and breathed through his mouth so that he couldn't pick up the scent of HER.

"I just… WHY do I keep smelling lemons?" she asked, clearly frazzled that she couldn't solve the puzzle.

"Because I like lemon drops?" He stuck out his tongue to reveal the sweet clinging to it before rolling it back into his mouth.

"Oh." Emma blushed furiously, clutching her make-up bag with one hand while tugging at the leg of her pants with the other. "Sorry. I just… So. Breakfast?"

He chuckled, pushing himself off the doorway with his shoulder before offering his arm and he hoped she didn't notice the way his appendage trembled. Fumbling with her cosmetic bag she took his arm and let him guide her toward the main hall that was guarded with a railing. He easily guided her around some obstacles hidden in the shadows, including a skateboard.

"You're very gentlemanly," she commented, hip bumping into his.

"Master Splinter raised us right."

"EMMA!" shouted Mikey from behind them.

"Well, most of us-MIKEY!"

Michelangelo dove forward and Emma squealed as her body suddenly started to plummet to the first floor. She threw her hands up, cosmetic bag and flip-flops flying as she managed to wrap her arms around Mikey's neck right before they landed. Panting, she scrambled out of his arms and adjusted her glasses before tackling him down to the ground to pummel him with her closed fists against his plastron.

"YOU JERK!"

"Ahaha-OW! C'mon Emma-OW- it was just a joke-OW!" he protested, covering his melon to protect it from her fast fists of fury.

"NOT FUNNY!"

She stood up, panting, adrenaline pumping as she looked around for her make-up bag. She almost slammed into Donatello who had landed quietly behind her, bag in one hand and flip-flops dangling from the fingers of the other. She snatched them before marching toward the bathroom, making sure to close the door with a loud slam.

"Sheesh," said Mikey from his spot on the floor, arms outstretched. "Remind me never to do _that_ again."

"Mikey…" Donatello shook his head before quickly pulling out his bo staff and whacking it hard enough to hurt but not hard enough to cause damage. Not that there was much damage he COULD DO to Mikey's head.

"OW!"

"Let's go eat. Please try to act civilized at the table."

"Aw, Donnie, yer no fun!"

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"I am disappointed."

Hun cracked his knuckles while leaning back against a red, leather chair that was made for a king. The high backed chair creaked slightly as he settled further into the seat: his dead eyes focusing on whom he considered his first Lieutenant. John fidgeted in his own chair, much smaller than Hun's and looking like it would fall apart if any more weight was added upon it. It was a tactic Hun used many times, making whom he was criticizing feel even smaller than they really were.

"Shit, Hun," said John, massaging the back of his head before pulling at his blue hair. "I had no idea she was with the turtles! Her brother insisted he didn't know either."

"And how is little Joey?" asked Hun, blindly reaching down to give his pet pitbull what one would consider a loving pat on his head, making it grumble in its sleep.

"Enjoying life in Juvie right now," said John with a smirk. "She pressed charges against him. Against ALL of them."

"Interesting," said Hun, leaning forward, chair once against creaking as he bridged his hands. "I think we can use this against her. He's just a cracked out kid. He feels betrayed and I'm betting he's going through that painful process of detox." Hun opened a drawer and pulled out a bag then tossed it at John. He bobbled the bag before clutching it to his chest and Hun snorted at the incoordination that was just displayed. "Bail him out, give him a hit, and then bring him here."

"Boss?" asked John, clutching the bag of cash.

"I have an idea," said Hun, sinister smile spreading across his face. "Those incriminating files that Tate had on us are a ticking time bomb. If little Emma won't get on board with us then we use her brother as incentive to cooperate."

"Oh." John smiled, tucking the bag into the deep pockets of his trench coat. "I see. Might as well, what we saw as opportunity with Joey was nothing but-"

"Disappointment," finished Hun with a humorless smirk. "DO try to NOT mess this up, John. You're track record this week is most… Unimpressive."

"Right, Boss," said John, nervously licking his lips. "Don't worry. We'll get the kid, and then those files-then take the both of them out."

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Emma hesitated as five male figures stood from their chairs as she entered the kitchen. She smiled, waving to most but doing her best to ignore Mikey. He had scared the ever loving hell out of her earlier and she wasn't one to forgive quickly. She went to the one open chair and was soon seated between Raphael and Donatello, who had pushed her chair in again. She made a comment about him once again being a gentleman and she decided that the darkening of the green skin on his cheeks was the equivalent of her blush.

"Heard ya shoutin' at lamebrain over there," said Raphael, pouring a large amount of a sugary cereal into his bowl. "What was THAT about?"

"He did a repeat of what YOU pulled last night," she said with a glare, making Raphael chuckle.

"From what I remember, ya liked it enough to get on my shell again."

"Yeah but I wasn't even prepared for this one," said Emma, turning her glare to Mikey. "But he _won't_ do it _ever_ again. Right, Mikey?"

"Right! Man, you hit HARD, Emma! Usually when I get hit in the plastron I don't feel it much!" he said, rubbing his chest area with a slight pout before slathering a piece of toast with jelly.

"What can I say?" asked Emma hands turning upward with her shrug. "Tis the boxer in me."

"Hey," said a concerned voice and she looked at Raphael. His eyes were on her slightly bruised knuckles. "Ya did a numbah' on those hands, too. Should let Donnie take a look."

"They're fine," she said, placing them in her lap only to have one snatched up by Dr. Don. "Seriously. I've had worse after a match. It's fine."

"You should ice the knuckles," said Donatello seriously, thumb lightly traveling over her knuckles, circling them almost sensually and Emma fidgeted in her chair before taking her hand back.

"It's fine," she repeated before snatching a piece of toast. She reached for the peanut butter and started to spread a thick layer of it on her toast. Noticing a coffee mug before her she grabbed it and Raphael motioned where the machine was with his spoon before resuming his task of emptying his bowl.

"Donatello," said Splinter at the head of the table, making the room fall silent as all turned their attention to him. Emma finished pouring her coffee and say in her spot. "You found something on the computer?"

"Oh, um, yes," he said, setting down his mug of coffee before twisting in his chair to look at Emma. "I extracted some files, the ones containing any information on us. The files that contain all the incriminating evidence against… Your dad…" He paused at this, giving her a sympathetic looks. "…as well as the Dragons. A lot of bad people could go to jail with these files. If you want to remain anonymous I can send the files in to the D.A. tomorrow. "

"You can do that?" she asked, hands clenching in her lap. "Keep my name out of it?"

"Yeah," said Donatello. "But I'm sure the Dragons will know where it came from." Donatello shared a look with Leo, who nodded. "We talked about it and we'd be willing to let YOU stay here until the heat settles."

Emma caught the emphasis on '_YOU'_. "But… not Joey."

"His association with the Dragons raises a red flag," said Leonardo calmly. "If he were to find our whereabouts he could use that information to stay in the Dragons good graces."

"Yeah," said Emma with a nod. "I can see that happening. He's already being held for the assault I suppose he's as safe as he can be in prison…" She winced. "Though I'm sure they have people in the Juvenile facilities as well, huh?"

"He's safer there than on his own," said Splinter. "On that I believe."

"We're here for you, Emma," said Mikey cheerfully. "We've all agreed to help keep you safe if shit-erm-stuff hits the fan."

"Just… Give me a minute," she said softly, sliding back and rising from her chair: toast and coffee untouched as she exited the kitchen.

She walked until coming to the small little bridge she saw when first entering the lair and went to the middle of it and leaned against the railing: looking down at the water. She was stuck, and didn't know what to do. On one hand bad people would be going to jail but on the other her brother would be left to defend himself. A part of her said that it is what he got for associating with the Dragons like her dad had. But then she remembered that he had a problem, a LARGE drug problem and that she needed to be there for him to get him some help. Her hands gripped the railing tighter just as a murky figure of a large turtle came into view next to her reflection. She looked up through her lashes and the lens of her glasses to see Raphael standing there.

"Hey," she said, exhaling loudly. "Sorry I left like that it's just…" She looked back down at the water. "…a lot to take in."

His hands rest near hers on the railing of the bridge and he mimicked her stance, leaning forward to make the muscles of his arms flex. In the background she could hear the bustle of the kitchen, dishes clanking and cupboards closing. Someone turned on the radio before turning on the water. Emma had a feeling it was Mikey's day for dishes. She looked up and almost started when seeing serious, amber eyes studying her from behind a blood red mask.

"How do I choose?" she asked, hazel eyes searching his for an answer. "Either I protect my brother and throw some innocents under a bus due to bad men staying free or I throw my flesh and blood under the bus and save innocents from the monsters that are the Dragons... I don't know what to do, Raph."

"'ve been fightin' the Dragons fer a while, Emma. 'm the wrong turtle ta ask," he said seriously. "Den again, if it were one of my brothers... I dunno what I'd do."

"There has to be a way to do both." Emma sighed. "If I drop the charges against my brother maybe he could see reason? There has to be a way to get him out of the firefight before it starts."

"We'll work it out," he said. "Until then ya lay low. Still, can't let this info go to waste, y'know?"

"Yeah," she said with a frown. "I know."

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Donatello stood in the doorway of the kitchen, staying in the shadows while observing his brother and Emma. The inner scientist was curious over the surge of possessiveness he suddenly had for the human girl he just met a few nights ago. His hand was clenched around the still steaming mug of coffee and only his meditative training stopped him from squeezing tight enough to have the cup shatter. He REALLY didn't want scalding coffee all over his hand either. His brown eyes narrowed as Emma's head tilted to rest on Raphael's bicep and he lost the battle with the mug as Raphael's hand came up to rest on her hip. Cursing he shook his hand to flick away dribbles of coffee as two heads swiveled to stare at him.

"Must've been a crack in the mug," he said lamely, still shaking his burned hand.

"Donnie!" Emma stepped away from Raphael to take a few steps to him. "You okay?"

"Don't mind me," he said with a tight, forced smile. "I better clean this up. Don't come over here. I'd feel bad if you stepped on a piece of porcelain."

He turned away from Emma and Raphael, forcing the embarrassment away as he sped to the small space they stored things like mops, brooms, and other cleaning supplies. Grabbing a broom and pan he set to work, ignoring Emma and Raphael the best he could though his eyes would drift over to the couple mid-sweep and that nasty thing called jealousy popped up. Was this a turtle thing? Was his inner animal focused on a female and getting territorial? Maybe this was a human thing? He and his brothers had emotional attachments to Splinter, Casey, and April: it would only make sense that it would extend from familial bonds to that of… Love? No, perhaps not love in this case. Not yet. Lust. Yes. He definitely felt lust when he popped into his room and found her wearing those sexy glasses, bent over while looking at his books. He had felt… A stirring… And her inhaling his scent had just added fuel to his inner fire. If he had had it his way that morning he'd have kissed her before she left his room.

Now, after sweeping up the last bit of shattered mug into the dustpan he chanced one more look at Raphael and Emma. His eyes narrowed in on his brother's shell and he jumped as a growl escaped his throat, surprising himself. He watched as Raphael's shoulders tightened before his head swiveled around. Amber met dark chocolate and their gazes said the same exact thing.

_Game on, Brother. _

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TBC…

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